


Sad Whiskey Milkshake Club

by RemitheDaydreamer



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coping, F/M, Heartbreak, Male-Female Friendship, Someone please give these two a hug, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Veronica and Jughead love bourbon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 01:57:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12948834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RemitheDaydreamer/pseuds/RemitheDaydreamer
Summary: “We’re a sad fucking pair aren’t we?” Jughead said, feeling the prickle of his buzz dance across his skin. “I mean...we broke up with them.”“But they’re the ones that got together five minutes after we left.” She said, still laughing but heartbreakingly so. “That’s how much their ‘I love yous’ really meant. “OR: Five times Jughead and Veronica commiserate over their broken hearts, while Barchie seemingly sails off into the sunset.OR: The Jughead and Veronica friendship that we never get to see.Jughead/Veronica friendship. Bughead and Varchie relationships.





	Sad Whiskey Milkshake Club

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow my Bughead centric angst 2x08 response turned into a Jughead/Veronica friendship fic. Still Bughead, but background for sure.

_1) Sad Whiskey Milkshake Club – the origin story._

Jughead was slowly sinking and he didn’t know what to do. The civil war had fractured the town but it had also fractured himself, his friends, and his relationship. There wasn’t a moment lately where he didn’t feel like a broken person.

It didn’t help that there were no places to escape in Riverdale, but there was one place that he still felt somewhat whole – under the neon lights of _Pop’s_.

“Hey, Jug.” Pop greeted.

He went straight to his usual booth but it was occupied. Clad in her signature plaid and black was his “friend” Veronica Lodge - friend in quotations because their whole friendship was based on an association with their other friends. They never really hung out by themselves, but then again they never really had a chance to get to know each other outside of Betty, Archie, and Kevin.

He was tempted to ignore her, but the sadness in his eyes reflected his own. Maybe he was going soft, but something compelled him to join the brunette.

“Pop, can I get a milkshake?” He said over his shoulder, before tapping the tabletop where Veronica was sitting.

She looked up, eyes displaying a vulnerability that was so un-Lodge like that he felt a wave of sadness settle over him.

“What do you want, Veronica?”

“Huh?”

“What milkshake do you want?”

With a tight-lipped smile she muttered chocolate, before staring out the rain soaked window. Jughead was starting to regret his decision. 

 

* * *

 

Veronica Lodge surprised him.

Somehow they settle into a comfortable flow thanks to Veronica’s sense of humor. (If you must know she calls him Emo Danny Zuko). Soon, words pour out of their mouths like a summer rainstorm. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened three months ago, but the thing was, these times were dark and they were both done with hiding. 

They talk through many topics. Their sadness, the Black Hood, but they also talk about movies, books and randomly, Reggie Mantle. Most significantly, they discover that the not so old saying was true – you don’t need to be poor or rich to have a fucked up upbringing.  
  
“Here’s to the “endgame” finally getting together.” Veronica said bitterly.  
  
Jughead grimaced, grabbing his vanilla milkshake. He methodically wiped the condensation off, before reaching to the top of the whipped cream to claim the cherry.  
  
“...and we chose their favorite flavors too.”  
  
Mirroring her friends grimace, she raised her glass again before taking a sip of the syrupy concoction. “Who knew it would have to take our friends inevitable hook up to realize that we have this great friendship, Jug.”  
  
Jughead chuckled. “This was a by chance meeting, Ronnie.”  
  
“Semantics...” Veronica said before reaching into her purse to pull out a bottle. “And then there’s this.” She declared before pouring whiskey into both of their shakes.  
  
“You really are my kind of pal, Ronnie.” Jughead said with a laugh.

She chuckled but her eyes soon clouded with the sadness that he had witnessed when he first walked into Pop’s. “...I think I love him, Jug.” She paused, gripping the glass tightly. “I just can’t say it to him.”  
  
“...and I have to protect her. I’m not good for her.”  
  
Veronica nodded, but something in her couldn’t accept the words that spilled out of his mouth. She tried for a second to bite her tongue, but she couldn’t help herself. Maybe it was the whiskey. Maybe it was her grief – but Jughead Jones brought out a new transparency in her.  
  
“I think that’s pretty bullshit, Jones.”  
  
“Well, you’re pretty bullshit yourself, Ronnie.”  
  
Jughead looked down, meticulously stirring his milkshake.  
  
“Well, it’s too late. Plus, now we know we were just their road blocks to happily ever after.”  
  
“Yeah...”

 

* * *

 

 _2 hours later…_  

“We’re a sad fucking pair aren’t we?” Jughead said, feeling the prickle of his buzz dance across his skin. “I mean…we broke up with them.”

Veronica laughed, eyes reflecting both humor and an extreme sense of hurt and bitterness as she dashed both their milkshakes with more bourbon.

“But they’re the ones that got together five minutes after we left.” She said, still laughing but heartbreakingly so. “That’s how much their ‘I love yous’ really meant. “

Jughead bit his lip, trying his best to not mirror the tears now glazing Veronica’s eyes. Before he could overthink it, he reached across the table, grabbing Veronica’s hands in a sign of solidarity. “That’s what the Sad Whiskey Milkshake Club is for.”

Veronica gave him a watery smile, and for the first time in weeks they both felt hope.

 

* * *

 

_2) Betty isn’t over Jughead._

It turns out “Barchie” wasn’t exactly the happily ever after that Veronica and Jughead originally envisioned. Like a fucked up square dance, it was like they landed back in a similar place to the beginning of the school year, except this time it was the Betty and Jughead show. 

He sat down, hair beanie-less – a tell that Jughead was down to talk about feelings.

“Betty showed up at _Sunnyside_ last night.” Jughead revealed as he poured three shots of bourbon into his milkshake – vanilla malt, _her favorite of course_.  
  
The brunette quirked her eyebrow in concern and in curiosity – she normally would make a snarky comment but from the look on his face, her blonde best friend really messed him up.  
  
“...and?”  
  
“She was drunk, kissed me…” He bit his lip, ashamed at the vulnerability in his voice. “…and she told me she loved me.”  
  
“...and?” Ronnie said, feeling the tension prick up her fingers as she poured herself a shot.  
  
“I kissed her back, but then I pushed her away.”  
  
“Jug...”

He looked down, feeling Veronica’s gaze of pity cast on him like an overbearing shadow. He couldn’t take the weight.  
  
“Like we talked about last week, I know I was wrong but I can’t be second to Archie once something goes wrong.” He took a breath, hating that his voice was cracking with hurt again. “I...I still love her but I won’t do that again.”

She didn’t say a word; she just pushed his shake towards him and relayed the message in her gaze.

_Stay strong, Juggie._

* * *

  
_3) Archie isn’t over Veronica._

“He confronted me outside of the Pembrooke yesterday - ranting and raving about how girls choose him but love you.” Veronica said before free pouring whiskey into her milkshake.

Jughead knitted his eyebrows in confusion. “Love you?”  
  
“As in you, Forsythe.” Veronica said pointedly.

He laughs, almost self-deprecatingly. “...I’ve only had one girlfriend and he’s dating her.”

She looked at her hands for a second. She knew what she had to say, but she could still feel the anger boiling through her veins from her confrontation with Archie. “I know...he thinks we’re dating.”

Jughead scoffed. “Can’t a man and woman be friends?”

Foregoing the milkshake, she openly drank out of the whiskey bottle. “Nope. He doesn’t understand that we are Lucas and Haley. I then proceeded to call him a tool because he couldn’t wait for me to be ready.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she shoved the bottle in her bag not wanting to cause a public scene. “I’m ready now and he couldn’t wait.”  
  
She hiccupped, letting a soft sob escape her mouth. “I won’t be a second choice, Jug. I can’t.”  
  
He echoed her "words" from yesterday. “Stay strong, Ronnie.”

 

* * *

  
_4) Betty spills her guts about Archie._

“What’s the emergency, Ronnie?”

He sat down across from his friend in anticipation. She called him in a panic an hour ago and he had rushed over from the White Whyrm much to the annoyance of his fellow Serpents.

“Betty had a heart to heart with me last night.”

Instinctively he leaned forward, not only to listen, but to also take the whiskey bottle out of her hand to pour himself a shot.  
  
“…and?”  
  
“Long story short she hates this situation and feels that it’s all wrong.” Veronica said, voice trailing.

“…and?”

“Arch and her broke up. He loves me and she loves you.”  
  
Jughead breathed in, refusing to take in the information. In his eyes, their ship had sailed and he had already resigned that he would be a chapter – no, a footnote if he was lucky to their novel romance.

Like Veronica did a week ago, he grabbed the bottle, put it to his lips, and openly drank.

“You can talk to Archie and make up, but Betty and I are meant to be apart.”

* * *

  
_5) Jughead and Veronica both meddle._

“Seriously, Jug?”  
  
“Seriously, Ronnie?”

They both looked at each other, feeling the silent words that they both were thinking.

 _Traitor._  
  
“I guess let’s do the Core Four square dance. You go there and I go there.” Jughead said, anger evident in his voice as he stormed off towards the jukebox.

* * *

_“I don’t know what to say, Betts. Nothing has changed.”_

_“We hurt and pushed each other away to protect each other. I’m tired of this, Jug. We are better together.”_

_“I’m your second choice.”_

_“You will always be my first choice. Archie or no Archie.”_

_“Why’d you go to him?”_

_“Because I was lonely, like you were after the Gauntlet.”_

_“…and?”_

_“I’ve never stopped loving you…I don’t think I could.”_

* * *

_“I’m an idiot and I shouldn’t have pressured you.”_

_“You couldn’t wait for me, Archie...and it hurts. It feels like I can’t breathe everyday.”_

_“Ronnie…”_

_“You went to my best friend, Arch. Not only did that hurt me, but it hurt Jug.”_

_“I know and I’m sorry. I’ll wait for your forgiveness, no matter how long it takes.”_

_“It’s not that easy.”_

_“But it could be…”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because I love you.”_

* * *

  
_6) ~~Sad~~ Whiskey Milkshake Club_

 The bell chimed at Pop’s signaling the arrival of one of her best friends. The brunette chuckled, pouring a shot of whiskey in his vanilla malt on instinct.  
  
“It’s tradition, Holden Caufield.” Veronica said with a smile that reached her eyes for the first time in months.  
  
“Long live, Sad Whiskey Milkshake Club.” He said as he clinked his glass with her chocolate filled one.

“I don’t think we’re that sad anymore.”

The bell chimed again, causing them to lift their heads to see the source of their smiles. Like that joyous night a few months ago, they fell into a rhythm around milkshakes and laughter. In the middle of it, Veronica shoved something in Jughead’s hand under the table.

He looked at her, confused for two seconds, before glancing at the object in his hand.

_A tiny bottle of bourbon._

She gives him a mischievous smile, and for the first time in a while they aren’t mirroring each other’s sad expressions.

They may be fractured, but they’re healing.

 


End file.
